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Juventus are reportedly considering making a move for former Barcelona manager Xavi Henandez this summer following Thiago Motta's uncomfortable start.

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• Juventus consider making move for Xavi
• Motta has had a slow start at Juventus
• Xavi on a sabbatical since dramatic Barca exit

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Motta joined Juventus as a fiery manager who employed hyper-offensive tactics during his time at Bologna. However, the former Italy international has not been very successful with the Bianconeri despite the 36-time Serie A champions' 21-game unbeaten league start – which includes 13 draws.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Juventus are now preparing for the worst-case scenario with Motta as fans call for the Italian to be shown the door. As per L'Equipe, the Old Lady have now earmarked Xavi as their option to replace Motta next summer in the case that they do part ways with the 42-year-old.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Xavi had a climactic end to his stint with Barcelona last season after club president Joan Laporta pleaded with the Blaugrana legend not to leave his post as manager. Xavi accepted the offer, however, in a turn of events, Laporta then sacked the 45-year-old after he made comments regarding the club's financial situation.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  The Bianconeri's first option will likely remain to back Motta in the summer to give the Italian legend as much chance as possible of succeeding at Allianz Stadium. However, if nothing significant happens, Xavi may be urged to come out of his sabbatical.

Tottenham Hotspur’s poor start to the season almost got significantly worse on Wednesday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side took on Coventry City in the League Cup, which should have been a straightforward win to boost morale around the club. Instead, it became perhaps the worst performance of the Australian’s reign thus far and ended with a last-minute smash-and-grab.

It was certainly a night to forget for the North Londoners and their travelling fans, but they have the perfect opportunity to make amends tomorrow afternoon as they host Brentford in the Premier League.

The bad news is that the Bees seem to be in great form at the moment and came close to earning a point away at Manchester City last week and comfortably beating Southampton the weekend before that.

So, if the Lilywhites are going to get anything out of the game, they’ll need to put in a performance far better than the one they gave on Wednesday, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the manager make up to eight changes to help that happen.

1

GK – Guglielmo Vicario

So, starting in goal, we already have the first change: number one Guglielmo Vicario comes back into the side in place of Fraser Forster, who looked shakey during the week.

Vicario hasn’t had the best start to the season himself, but with more minutes under his belt, he could get back to his shot-stopping best.

2

RB – Pedro Porro

On the right of the back four is another change, as 18-year-old Archie Gray makes way for Pedro Porro.

The young Englishman looked bright here and there against Coventry, but the Spaniard is a sensational right-back who is integral to Postecoglou’s ultra-attacking style of play.

For example, in just 37 appearances last season, the Don Benito-born star scored four goals and provided seven assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 3.36 games.

3

CB – Cristian Romero

To the left of Porro will almost certainly be the club’s co-vice captain, Cristian Romero.

The Argentine international came in for some deserved criticism following the defeat to Arsenal last week, but there can be no doubt about his quality, especially when Lionel Messi described him as “the best defender in the world”, and he probably knows a thing or two about football.

Moreover, we often see the best in the combative centre-back when the going gets tough.

4

CB – Micky van de Ven

Alongside the World Cup winner will be Dutch centre-back Micky van de Ven.

The former Wolfsburg star was rested for the match on Wednesday, which was probably the right call given his injury record, but in tomorrow’s must-win game, he has to start.

The incredible speed he can reach makes him an integral part of the manager’s playing philosophy, as it’s this rapid pace that allows him to run back and cover from the team’s high line.

5

LB – Destiny Udogie

The final player to make up the back four is the only one to keep his place from the last game, Destiny Udogie.

However, the Italian full-back didn’t put in his best performance and was actually hooked at half-time.

Still, given how well he played in the league last season and the manager’s reluctance to use Djed Spence apart from a rare time on Wednesday, it would be shocking if he didn’t start.

6

CM – Rodrigo Bentancur

The first name in midfield is another survivor from the fiasco against Coventry, Rodrigo Bentancur.

Like the rest of his teammates, the Uruguayan international didn’t do much of any note in that game, but with Yves Bissouma only returning to training today, it seems certain that he’ll start again.

That said, like plenty of his teammates, the former Juventus ace is incredibly talented, and in a side with more regular starters, he could get back to somewhere near his best – at least that’s what the manager will be hoping.

7

CM – Dejan Kulusevski

The first change in midfield sees one Swede replace another, as 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall comes out for Dejan Kulusevski, who has looked good in central areas recently.

Now, the youngster didn’t look bad on Wednesday, but he couldn’t quite take a hold of the game either, and while that’s understandable at his age, it’s also an indication he shouldn’t be starting in a tough league game either.

Moreover, Kulusevski is one of Postecoglou’s most technically gifted players and, with a record of 36 goals and assists in 101 Spurs games, he’s also one of the most dangerous.

8

CM – James Maddison

The second change in midfield sees James Maddison come back into the lineup in place of Pape Matar Sarr.

The Englishman has been getting some understandable criticism of late for some underwhelming performances, but even when he’s not at his very best, the “influential” midfielder, as dubbed by former manager Brendan Rodgers, is still useful.

For example, in his 32 league matches for the Lilywhites, the former Leicester City star has scored four goals and provided 11 assists, meaning he’s averaged a goal involvement every 2.13 games.

9

RW – Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson, the first of the three attackers, comes in for the injured Wilson Odobert.

It’s been a tough season for the Welshman so far, but he did make a difference in the game on Wednesday by keeping his composure and scoring the 92nd-minute winner to save the club and Postecoglou from an embarrassing defeat.

It will be tougher against Brentford tomorrow afternoon, but he clearly has the backing of the manager, and 15 goal involvements in his debut season for the club suggests there is a talented player there.

10

ST – Dominic Solanke

Starting up top and keeping his place in the team is the £65m man, Dominic Solanke.

The former Bournemouth ace hasn’t had the best of starts to life in North London, as in three appearances, he has yet to open his account with a goal or assist, but in his defence, his actual play has been quite good.

Moreover, he played like a man possessed last season and racked up a superb 21 goals and four assists in 42 appearances for the Cherries, so it feels more like a matter of when and not if he starts to find the back of the net in white.

It’s been a hectic and incredibly tough start to life in the Premier League for Ipswich Town this season, but they are handling it brilliantly so far.

Kieran McKenna’s side were given possibly the most challenging opening fixtures of anyone in the league this year. To kick things off, they played a home game against Liverpool, followed by an away trip to Manchester City, just in case the fans forgot how tough the top-flight can be.

Understandably, the Tractor Boys didn’t pick up any points from those games, but they have since picked up a point against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, and most impressively, Aston Villa.

In all, things are looking good for McKenna’s side, and while they might not be full of household names, there are more than enough talented players in the squad who could keep them up this year, including Liam Delap.

Delap's start to the season

Delap cost Ipswich around £15m plus a further £5m in potential add-ons in July, and while that is a fairly significant amount of money for a young striker, it’s not unreasonable considering his 32-game stint with Hull City last season, in which he scored eight goals and provided two assists.

Moreover, in 55 games for City’s various junior sides, the Winchester-born poacher racked up a seriously impressive haul of 46 goals and 16 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 0.88 games.

Now, while he isn’t going to recreate those sorts of numbers at Portman Road, the 21-year-old forward has got off to a flying start, finding the back of the net away to Fulham and twice in the draw at home to Champions League contending Villa.

It’s still very early in Delaps’s Ipswich career, but if he can maintain his current form of scoring a goal every 2.33 games or so, then not only will the club have a brilliant chance of staying up, but his valuation will surely exceed his fee as well. That said, the Englishman is not the only McKenna signing coming good this season.

Axel Tuanzebe's Ipswich career

Yes, the McKenna signing in question is former Manchester United ace Axel Tuanzebe, who joined the club on a free last September, just three months after leaving the Red Devils.

However, the once-capped Congolese international only signed a one-year deal, likely due to persistent injury problems that had limited him to just 90 first-team appearances at that point in his career, which for a then-25-year-old was more than a little concerning.

Unfortunately for the Bunia-born defender, despite his undeniable quality, fitness issues once again impacted him at the start of last season, and up until around late February, he played very few games for the club. However, once he eventually got into the side, he became the club’s first-choice right-back and made 21 appearances across all competitions.

In June, the newly promoted side confirmed that they had activated the option to extend the 26-year-old’s £40k-per-week contract for another year, and what a decision that has turned out to be.

In stark contrast to last season, the 6 foot 1 ace has played in and started all six of the Tractor Boys’ league fixtures so far, and though it’s been tough going at times, he has not looked out of his depth at this level.

For example, he was given an 8/10 rating for his performance against Villa by TNT Sports’ Paul Hassall, a 7/10 by the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones for his display against Fulham, and another 8/10 from Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz for the 0-0 draw with Brighton.

Ultimately, Tuanzebe is looking every bit like a Premier League player, and while Transfermarkt has him valued at just €3m – £2.5m – at the moment, that price will surely only increase if he can remain fit, and if he can, then he may well end up being just as crucial to Ipswich’s survival chances as Delap.

McKenna may have found Ipswich their own Grealish in "unplayable" star

The tremendously exciting attacker could play a big part in the Tractor Boys’ season this year.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 1, 2024

GOAL's key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including goals from USMNT stars that could be key in Nations League

All eyes may be on the transfer market as the European window nears closing, but for the U.S. men's national team's group of stars, this weekend was about what happened on the pitch – specifically goals and assists, and they came from all over the continent.

The most important arguably came in England's second division. Both Josh Sargent and Brenden Aaronson found the back of the net. For Sargent, it was a chance to further his USMNT ambitions. For Aaronson, it was a goal that moved his club one step closer to a potential Premier League return.

In the Premier League, Antonee Robinson continued his quest to provide an assist against just about everyone. He's on a record-breaking pace, and there's no reason to doubt that he could end this season in the history books. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace won't be in any history books but, they, too had a big win as the USMNT star stepped up to shut out Manchester United.

And then there's Italy, where Americans continue to contribute to two of the world's biggest clubs. Tim Weah provided a huge assist for Juventus as they look to climb up the table. Unfortunately for Milan, neither Christian Pulisic or Yunus Musah could provide the same magic, as Milan conceded a late goal to settle for a 1`-1 draw with eternal rivals Inter on Sunday.

Overall, it was a big weekend overseas. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.

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  Sargent stepping up to fill striker void

  When Folarin Balogun went down with injury, Ricardo Pepi stepped up for the USMNT. Now, Pepi himself is down and out, potentially for March's CONCACAF Nations League. And that leaves Sargent as the guy to step up – and he's certainly doing that at the club level.

  After overcoming his own injury issues to return from a near-three-month absence in mid-January, Sargent is now back scoring goals for Norwich. He netted two on Jan. 25 in a 5-1 blowout of Swansea City to get his feet back under him. He then scored another this weekend, lifting Norwich to a 1-0 win over Watford.

  He likely won't reach the heights of his last two seasons, in which he scored 16 and 13 respectively. But with seven this season, Sargent is still putting up numbers again. It's all coming at the right time, too.

  There are numerous games between Sargent and USMNT duty but, if things continue on this path, there's a very real chance he's the guy in Nations League in March. It'd be a huge moment for a player that has been waiting for a chance, and in this form, he certainly will be feeling confident he can take it.

  The most important thing is to stay healthy, as the rest of the striker pool can attest. Sargent seems back to his best, and the USMNT will need him to remain there.

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  Aaronson pushes Leeds towards promotion

  When he spoke to GOAL in the fall, Aaronson admitted his personal goal was ambitious, saying "15 goals."

  Keep in mind he'd scored just 16 in the four seasons since he moved to Europe. But it's looking as if Aaronson might not have been too far off. He'll need to get hot at some point this season, but with the calendar now turned to February, 15 isn't totally out of the question.

  The Leeds midfielder netted his eighth of the season in a 7-0 rout of Cardiff City, scoring his side's first in what turned out to be an epic blowout. With that eighth goal, Aaronson has now hit a career high, surpassing his first season at RB Salzburg after trading MLS for Europe.

  Leeds sit atop the Championship and have a very real chance of returning to the Premier League. That's certainly been one of Aaronson's other goals since his first crack at England's top flight. He certainly looks like a different player these days – confident, getting his goals and potentially more to come.

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  Robinson chasing down Liverpool stars

  Mohamed Salah. That's the list. That's the only player in the Premier League with more assists than Antonee Robinson at the moment. And, suddenly, one of Salah's teammates' records looks to be in very serious danger, too.

  With his assist in Fulham's 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday, Robinson now has 10 on the season, putting him only behind Salah's 13. Robinson isn't just chasing Salah, though. He's also chasing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who holds the record for most assists by a defender in a Premier League season.

  The England star provided 13 assists in 2019-20 and, with 15 games still remaining, Robinson will have a very real chance of pushing for that mark. It's no guarantee, but Robinson will have hope. He's already levelled Steed Malbranque's club record for most assists, and it's quite clear that Fulham will continue to run their attack through the left-back.

  There isn't a better player in that position in the Premier League, and Fulham knows it. Robinson is going record hunting and, with every big assist, he gets closer.

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  Weah's fortunate assist helps Juve to big win

  Let's be honest: Tim Weah didn't mean to get an assist. This wasn't some wonderful display of vision or passing finesse but, hey, they all count right? Weah got his assist and Juventus got their win.

  Weah's assist came from an attempted long shot, as the USMNT winger banked the ball off Randal Kolo Muani and into the back of the net. Kolo Muani knew nothing about it, so he'll feel fortunate to get that goal, although he'd also scored one just three minutes before. Ultimately, those goals powered Juve to a 4-1 win over Empoli, one in which two Americans played their parts.

  Starting at right-wingback, Weah's contribution was clear thanks to that assist. Fellow USMNT star Weston McKennie, meanwhile, was back in the heart of the Juve midfield after largely playing at wingback himself in recent weeks. It was a solid shift for McKennie, who went 85 minutes in a familiar position to make yet another point to Juventus boss Thiago Motta.

  It was a big win for Juve, one that, at least temporarily, vaults them up to fourth in Serie A. It was also a bounce-back win following back-to-back losses to Benfica in the Champions League and to Napoli in Serie A. Momentum has been hard to come by but, if Weah's assist is any indication, luck may be on their side.

Arsenal have let go of a number of its former academy stars in recent years and another is being eyed by a Bundesliga side, according to a new report.

This summer, both Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nkeitah left for Fulham and Crystal Palace respectively, while the previous year, Folarin Balogun was sold to Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco.

Smith Rowe in particular has excelled since leaving The Emirates. This term, the English midfielder has scored twice and assisted another in seven Premier League games for Marco Silva’s side, who currently sit eighth in the top flight, just three points off the top four.

“He’s enjoying his football, enjoying his team-mates, enjoying the way we’ve been playing,” Silva said of Smith Rowe, who set Fulham back £34 million, earlier this month. “He fits really well in the way we want to play, fits really well in some aspects where he’s been decisive for us.”

He added: “We have to be really pleased with the impact he’s already had in our squad. But I think he is going to improve more and more and more.”

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji could be next out at Arsenal

One player who could soon follow Smith Rowe in leaving Arsenal is young striker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji. According to Football Insider, the 21-year-old, who has been with Arsenal since he was just eight years old, is being tracked by Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.

Football Insider report that the German club have sent scouts to regularly watch Butler-Oyedeji over the last few months with the view of making an official offer for the player.

Butler-Oyedeji impressed with the Gunners in pre-season and has since also scored five goals in five Premier League 2 games for Arsenal’s U-21s.

He’s also been named on the bench three times for the first team this term, once in the Premier League and twice in the Champions League, but is yet to make his debut for Mikel Arteta’s side. According to Football Insider, Butler-Oyedeji is “highly rated by coaches at the North London club.”

Injuries could soon lead to Arsenal debut for Butler-Oyedeji

An Arsenal debut for Butler-Oyedeji could come around sooner rather than later, with the Gunners’ regular front three all having recently suffered injuries.

Striker Kai Havertz spent the entire international break at home due to a knee problem, while Bukayo Saka also suffered a knock during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece last week. He limped off just after half-time and subsequently pulled out of the squad for England’s win over Finland on Sunday, returning to Arsenal for further assessment.

Barcelona eyeing bargain move to sign "fantastic" £200k-p/w Arsenal star

He’s started all seven Premier League games this season…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 13, 2024

It was also reported that Gabriel Martinelli had also picked up an injury while on international duty with Brazil. Sky Sports reported that Martinelli underwent an MRI scan on Sunday night after complaining of pain in his right calf.

Martinelli is expected to miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifying match against Peru on Tuesday, but his injury is “thought to not be serious”, however, Butler-Oyedeji could be one to watch both on and off the pitch over the next few months.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane says he's not a fan of the Red Devils but was upset when he left the club back in 2006.

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• Keane claims he is not a Man Utd fan
• Spent 13 years with the Red Devils
• But was emotional when he left Old Trafford

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Ireland international became a legend for Manchester United during his career, winning all the major titles and helping the Red Devils dominate English football. As a pundit, Keane has always been very vocal regarding the way the 20-time Premier League champions have played and has often discussed what exactly has been going wrong with them since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. However, the 53-year-old has now admitted he does not support United or Nottingham Forest, the club he played for before joining the Red Devils.

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  WHAT KEANE SAID

  In the latest episode of Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane said: "I don’t have that affinity with the clubs I’ve played for. I don’t support Manchester United. I don’t support Nottingham Forest.

  "[On when you watch Manchester United] I have more of an insight with how it works at the club and the expectations, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a fan – their results don’t make or break my weekend. I wouldn’t go home going, ‘Get in there, that was a great win.’ I’d be looking at it in a professional way."

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  Keane brought an end to his 13-year stint with Manchester United in December of 2005 after a clash with Sir Alex and his assistant manager Carlos Queiroz as he reached an agreement to leave the club for free to join Celtic. Despite not being a fan of United, he did admit that leaving the club was a wrench. He added: "When I left United, I did cry that morning. Cried in my car."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD

  The 53-year-old has become a regular on screens after hanging up his boots as he enjoys a successful punditry career. He will be in action again this weekend, along with Manchester United who face a trip to Tottenham in the Premier League.

AC Milan have a plan in place that will bring to end to the speculation suggesting that Christian Pulisic is a transfer target for Liverpool.

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• American starring for Serie A giants
• Return to Premier League speculated on
• Contract extension readied at San Siro

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The USMNT star has continued to catch the eye in Italy this season, registering 10 goals and 11 assists. There has been talk of the former Chelsea forward being lured back to the Premier League by a big-money offer.

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  Milan, though, have been piecing together contract extension plans for some time. Pulisic is currently tied to a deal at San Siro through to 2027. According to , fresh terms will prolong that agreement by a further two years.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pulisic’s salary will be brought in line with top earners such as Rafael Leao, as he enjoys a wage rise to €5 million (£4m/$5m) a year. Milan are confident that their talismanic United States international will put pen to paper, with positive discussions being held..

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHRISTIAN PULISIC?

  The Serie A giants are aware of the Liverpool links, but believe that said gossip can quickly be brought to a close. Pulisic has expressed his happiness at life in Italy, which was showcased in his recent documentary series, and the 26-year-old has no need to consider another move any time soon.

West Ham have started the season poorly, sitting 12th in the Premier League after seven games, winning twice, drawing twice, and losing three times.

Julen Lopetegui’s side have averaged 45.4% possession so far this season, the sixth worst in the division, hardly living up to the hopes that he would make them a better outfit.

The Hammers have only scored ten goals this season in their first seven games; the ninth most in the league, scoring four of these in their most recent win against Ipswich.

West Ham beat the Tractor Boys 4-1, with goals from Jarrod Bowen, Mohamed Kudus, Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta, and will face Tottenham next in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Bowen, who looked back to his best last time out, will be vital to their chances.

Jarrod Bowen at West Ham

Bowen was signed by West Ham back in 2020 from Hull City, joining for a fee of £20m plus.

At the time, Moyes stated “I think he could be a big success”, and he was absolutely right. Bowen has made 211 appearances for the Hammers since joining, scoring 63 goals, providing 41 assists, and totalling 16,520 minutes played.

The 27-year-old had his best season in a West Ham shirt last campaign, scoring 20 goals and providing 10 assists in 44 appearances (3,842 minutes).

Bowen produced a better output last season, scoring 0.13 more goals per 90, generating 0.20 xG more per 90, and scoring 0.05 more goals per shot.

However, his progression numbers for the side, as well as his creation numbers have actually improved, providing the same amount of assists per 90 (0.23) but having a higher xAG, and more key passes played per 90.

West Ham will be extremely thankful for how Bowen has turned out and produced for them over the years, but they will also be thinking of potential replacements further down the line, and one name that could be just that for them, is already at the club. Meet the young Sean Moore…

West Ham's next Jarrod Bowen

West Ham academy star Moore has already been paid the ultimate compliment having been likened to a “young George Best” by former Cliftonville chairman Jim Boyce, with the 19-year-old winger now starring for the U21s, following a move from the Northern Irish side in 2023.

Moore made 42 appearances for Cliftonville FC, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 2,318 minutes played as a teenager.

Since then, the young forward has now made 30 appearances for the Hammers U21 side, scoring seven goals, providing three assists, and totalling 1,571 minutes played.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Moore was picked up due to his high quality in tight spaces, his ability to carry the ball forward, and his quality to cut inside and find the back of the net, something Bowen does regularly for the Hammers.

With three goals in five games at Premier League 2 level this term he is clearly in form and it would not be a surprise if he eventually gets a senior team gig at some stage in 2024/25.

Indeed, the young Irish winger could eventually be in line to take over from Bowen, and could even find his minutes fast-tracked if Lopetegui’s side continue to struggle, as the Spaniard looks for answers, with the 19-year-old being a solid option going forwards.

Left for £1.2m: West Ham have already sold the perfect Antonio replacement

The Hammers may regret moving on one rising star on the cheap…

2

By
Connor Holden

Oct 12, 2024

Over the last four to five years, Tottenham Hotspur have become far more willing to splash the cash.

The days of going through an entire summer without signing someone seem long gone, but that doesn’t mean managers always get the players they want.

For example, there was one striker Antonio Conte was supposedly keen to bring to N17 during summer 2022, a striker who was just named ahead of the great Harry Kane in last night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Spurs' 2022 summer transfer window

Before we get to the player in question, let’s take a look at a couple of signings Spurs did actually make that summer, starting with one which hasn’t really worked out: Richarlison.

The Brazilian international cost the North Londoners around £60m when he made the switch from Everton, and while he has shown glimpses of quality for the club, he hasn’t justified his hefty transfer fee.

For example, in his 76 appearances for the club so far, the 27-year-old has scored just 16 goals and provided eight assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.95 games.

On the other hand, the Lilywhites also signed Italian full-back Destiny Udogie in 2022, for around £15m, and following his loan back to Udinese he’s looked like a future star.

The 21-year-old made 30 first team appearances last season, scored two goals, provided three assists and was nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Season, and while he has struggled slightly this year, he looks set for a bright future.

However, while Udogie has a claim to being the club’s best signing in 2022, he would have had some real competition had Conte got the striker he was really after.

Conte wanted Lautaro Martinez

Yes, the striker in question is none other than Inter Milan superstar Lautaro Martinez, who, according to reports from Italy via the Daily Mail, was one of Conte’s primary targets in the 2022 summer transfer window.

Obviously, we know now that the Italian coach didn’t get his way, but had Daniel Levy and Co paid what would have been an exorbitant fee, the North Londoners would have got their hands on an incredible player, someone renowned football podcaster Angelo Valdes described as “the best 9 in the world.”

Now, that might be slightly hyperbolic, but it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from, as in the two and a bit seasons since that summer, the 27-year-old has racked up a frankly ridiculous haul of 80 goals and assists in 112 games, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.4 games.

So, with a level of output like that and a league triumph to back it up last season, it’s not surprising to see that he finished as high as seventh in this year’s Ballon d’Or, but what is surprising is that former Spurs phenom Kane finished three places lower in tenth.

The Englishman had a freakish individual campaign for Bayern Munich last season, scoring an absurd 44 goals in 45 appearances and providing 12 assists for good measure, equating to an average of 1.24 goal involvements per match.

However, what probably counted against the 31-year-old was that he ended the season empty-handed, becoming part of the first Bayern team in 12 years not to win the Bundesliga, which doesn’t help the usual boring narrative that has followed him his entire career.

Ultimately, both Martinez and Kane are incredible strikers, and had Spurs backed Conte and signed the former, maybe he would have been able to help the latter end his and the club’s long wait for a trophy.

After Moore: Ange has the next superstar brewing in Spurs' "pure talent"

Spurs have yet another superstar academy gem who looks ready to step up in the coming years.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 28, 2024

Daryl Dike is delighted to be back in action at West Brom, with the injury-ravaged USMNT star admitting it has “been a long year”.

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• Ruled out in February 2024
• Back in action 12 months later
• Hopes fitness issues are over

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The powerful frontman stepped off the bench in the Baggies’ 1-1 draw at Millwall. He was given the final 15 minutes at The Den, with fitness having been built up steadily over recent weeks in training and across U21 appearances.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dike has returned after 12 months stuck on the sidelines with an Achilles injury. The 24-year-old has also endured hamstring and calf complaints during his time with West Brom, restricting him to just 33 appearances on the back of a 2022 transfer from MLS side Orlando City.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The hope is that fitness problems are finally being left in the past, allowing Dike to rediscover the kind of form that has allowed the Oklahoma native to win 10 senior caps for his country. His last goal at club level was recorded on January 7, 2024.

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• WHAT DARYL DIKE SAID

  Dike is pleased to be doing his day job again, posting on social media after returning to the West Brom fold under experienced coach Tony Mowbray: “Been long year without doing what I love. Lots of prayers and work has been put into this. Sooooo happy to be back playing.”